NFL Exec: Giants 'Praying' Browns Take Travis Hunter or Abdul Carter amid Shedeur Buzz

After his stock seemed to take a dip coming out of the scouting combine, Shedeur Sanders appears to be making a comeback one month away from the 2025 NFL draft.

One executive for an AFC team told ESPN's Jordan Reid that the New York Giants are "praying" the Cleveland Browns use their pick on either Travis Hunter or Abdul Carter so they will have the option of taking Sanders at No. 3 overall.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler said on Friday's episode of Get Up that the Browns are considering multiple options at quarterback, including Russell Wilson, but there is "love in the building" for Sanders:

"The Cleveland Browns still have interest in Russell Wilson. They're still pursuing that angle, but they have Carson Wentz as a contingency plan. There's some mutual interest there if Wilson falls through. Kirk Cousins would be a prime option for the Browns, I'm told, but he's simply not available right now, so it's uncertain whether they want to really wait that out. That leaves them with the No. 2 overall pick. There is love in that building for both Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders, but the feeling around the league is the Titans could go Ward. That leaves them with Sanders, but I'm told the Browns do like his processing speed, mental game at the line of scrimmage."

All indications at this point suggest that the Tennessee Titans will use the top pick on Cam Ward.

The Browns are a wild card right now because they could go in any number of directions. Their roster is in such a state that taking the best available player, whether it's Hunter or Carter, would be easily justifiable.

But the quarterback room in Cleveland right now is such a mess that taking Sanders would make sense. Deshaun Watson, who might not play in 2025 after re-injuring his Achilles in January, and Kenny Pickett are the only quarterbacks under contract.

Per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, the Browns and Wentz have "mutual interest" if they are unable to sign Russell Wilson. Even for a franchise that's accustomed to being in quarterback purgatory, these are dark times.

There is growing speculation that Sanders will end up being Cleveland's pick. Myles Garrett strongly indicated he knows what the team's plan at the position is, but he declined to offer any specific insights.

B/R's NFL scouting department projected Sanders to be the Browns' choice in its most recent mock posted on Thursday.

The Giants might actually be in worse shape at quarterback than the Browns right now. Tommy DeVito is their only player at the position under contract. They're still waiting on Aaron Rodgers to make a decision about where he's going to play in 2025.

Sanders would add excitement to a Giants team that has been the butt of many jokes over the past 12 months because of how public their split with Saquon Barkley became thanks to Hard Knocks.

There's no doubt the Giants will bring in at least one quarterback this offseason, but they might have to sign a free agent like Wilson or Rodgers as a contingency to avoid being left in the cold when their number comes up in the draft.

It's not like Hunter or Carter would be bad alternatives for a Giants team that needs high-ceiling talent on both sides of the ball, but there's no quicker way to turn around an organization than to fix the quarterback position.